Forgiveness
by jaya1
Summary: When Reenie is hurt, the scouts must learn a lesson in friendship and trust.


This is a very early story I wrote when I first started reading fanfiction and as such, probably isn't very good. It's basically one of those scenarios I just can't get out of my head until I have it down on paper (I get those a lot). It was originally meant to be much longer, but this is the scene I had the clearest image of and as I tried to add more to it, it just ended up sounding forced. It might not make a lot of sense, but just use your imagination.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Sailor Moon. If I did the anime series would have ended like the comic series instead of not making the slightest bit of sense and the dubed version would have been much closer to the original (and wouldn't have taken 5 YEARS to be translated - I so wish I could understand Japanese :-p)  
  
  
  
Forgiveness  
by Jaya  
  
  
"Mamo-chan," Usagi asked as she stood in the kitchen doorway. "Did you want chicken curry or . . ."  
Mamoru looked up from his computer and frowned in concern. "Usako?" She stood motionless and her eyes were blank.  
"Usako?" he asked again raising and going to stand in front of her. "Are you alright?" He reached out to touch her forehead to see if she had a fever and was surprised to see her birthright crescent moon appear. A slight shock went through his arm and he knew that if anyone else had touched her at this moment they would have been thrown across the room. "Princess . . ." he whispered softly.  
Suddenly Usagi shook herself and the symbol disappeared from her forehead. "Mamo-chan do you know where Chibiusa is?"  
Startled by the question, he shook his head. "No. Are you alright?"  
She seemed distracted for a moment, then forced a smile onto her face. "Yes, I'm fine." She looked at him again and he could see her cheerfulness was false. "Now, did you want curry or teriyaki for dinner?"  
Still worried about her, and now Chibiusa as well, he forced a smile himself. "Whichever, it doesn't matter."  
"All right." With that she turned and went to finish making their meal.  
Trying to push his concern aside, he followed her example and went back to working on his computer.  
But Usagi's uneasiness had transferred to him and he couldn't escape the feeling that something was wrong.  
  
About an hour later, Usagi was almost finished preparing the chicken curry for herself and Mamoru. She had not been paying much attention to the meal and would have been pleasantly surprised to notice that it turned out rather well.  
As she was boiling water for the tea, again not paying much attention, she suddenly had a flash of Chibiusa's smiling face shattered by some unknown force. "Chibiusa!" she whispered dropping the pot. It clattered on the stove with a bang and some of the scalding water splashed on her hand. She cried out in pain.  
"Usako!" Mamoru cried running into the kitchen. He immediately saw what had happened and rushed her over to the sink to run cold water over her hand. She whimpered in pain, but clenched her teeth to keep from crying out.  
Mamoru grimly wet a cloth in the cold water and wrapped her hand. But just as he was going to ask if she was okay, there was a knock on the door. Usagi looked toward the sound in fear.  
"Answer the door Mamo-chan," she said softly.  
Hearing the fear in her voice, he hesitated and debated with himself whether or not to ignore the insistent rapping.   
"Mamoru?" Haruka's voice called from the other side. "Usagi? Are you there?"  
Now Mamoru knew something was wrong. He had never heard Haruka call Usagi anything but Odango Atama.  
He opened the door and saw something he had prayed he never would.  
"Chibiusa!" he cried rushing to take her from Setsuna's arms.  
"Papa?" her voice was weak and she grimaced in pain.  
"Chibiusa!" Usagi ran to her future daughter with tears in her eyes, her burned hand long forgotten.  
"Don't cry, Mama. I'll be okay." Chibiusa slipped into unconsciousness in her father's arms.  
"Chibiusa," Usagi whispered. Gently, she took the little girl into Mamoru's room and laid her in bed. Through the open door, she heard Mamoru's voice.  
"What happened?"  
"We were ambushed," Setsuna said bowing her head. Even though Mamoru and Usagi were not yet King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo, she always showed them respect. Usagi covered Chibiusa with the blanket and glanced into the living room.  
All of the Outer Senshi had changed into their normal clothes but Usagi could see Setsuna and Michiru limping and Haruka favoring her right arm as they moved into the apartment.  
"Small Lady came to give me a present," Setsuna's voice was soft and her violet eyes filled with tears. "We had no warning. A daimon appeared out of nowhere. We were all thrown back before we could transform." She paused and glanced toward Usagi and the bedroom where Chibiusa lay. "While we were down, the daimon targeted Small Lady. I couldn't reach her in time . . ."  
Setsuna's voice caught and Haruka finished for her. "We managed to transform and combine our energy to defeat it, but Chibiusa had already been injured." She spoke from the couch where her left arm was around Michiru in a comforting, protective gesture.  
Mamoru shook with pent-up anger. "Chibiusa may be a Sailor Senshi in training, but she is still a child. As such she is to be protected by the other Senshi." His voice grew quiet and he did not turn his head to look at them. "I hold all of you responsible for her being injured."  
Setsuna hung her head. Mamoru put his arm around Usagi's shoulders and led her into the bedroom before shutting the door.  
Usagi had wet a cool cloth and placed it on Chibiusa's forehead. She knelt beside the bed and gently brushed the child's hair away from her feverish face.   
"Chibiusa . . . please be alright." Mamoru knelt beside her and held her tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder as they both cried for their daughter.  
  
Later that night, the Sailor Senshi all waited in Mamoru's apartment. Makoto and Ami busied themselves in the kitchen, while Rei meditated and Minako flipped through channels on the television. Haruka was seated on the couch with her arm around Michiru. Hotaru had been called and was now sleeping restlessly in Michiru's arms. Every so often, Hotaru would shift or murmur in her sleep and Michiru would hold her tighter and glance with sympathy and concern at the still closed door where Usagi and Mamoru were still caring for Chibiusa.  
Of all the Senshi, only Setsuna had not moved from her place at the window. She had not eaten or even been seated all evening. When Ami had offered to dress her wounds earlier, Setsuna had not even replied. She seemed lost in her own world of worry and guilt.  
Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and Mamoru appeared. His eyes were red and his hair was askew, but he wore an air of quiet relief.  
"Her fever has broken, she's sleeping normally."  
Everyone sighed in relief and Ami hurried into the bedroom to check on Chibiusa. Mamoru said nothing but gestured Setsuna into the room with him and closed the door again.  
  
"Mama . . . Papa . . ." Chibiusa murmured in her sleep. Usagi sat on the bed next to her, not having left the child's side all night. Now she reached out to smooth Chibiusa's hair back.  
"It's alright, sweetheart. We're here."  
Mamoru went to stand next to Usagi and put a comforting hand on her shoulder while Ami went around to Chibiusa's other side and felt her forehead for a temperature.  
"She seems to be better now," Ami said softly. "I don't know why the medicine we tried earlier didn't work, but we should probably try it again." She looked at Usagi, but got no response. Her gaze shifted to Mamoru who nodded.  
"I'll be right back," Ami said and quietly left the room.  
During this time, Setsuna had not moved form her position by the door. Now she took a few tentative steps forward and looked down at Chibiusa.  
"Small Lady," she whispered softly.  
For the first time all night, Usagi tore her gaze from her daughter's face and turned to look at Sailor Pluto. When her eyes met Setsuna's, the woman fell to her knees and bowed before them.  
"Small Lady's condition is my fault, Your Majesties. Punish me as you wish."  
Seeing this and Time Protector's obvious distress, Mamoru and Usagi were speechless. After a moment, Usagi rose and knelt to take Setsuna's hands in her own.  
"You do so much to protect Chibiusa and make her happy," Usagi said smiling softly. "But you cannot protect her from every harm any more than Mamo-chan or I can." She made sure Setsuna was looking at her. "There is nothing to punish you for, Senshi of Time. You are more than forgiven."  
For a moment Setsuna looked unbelievingly between Usagi and Mamoru, who nodded in agreement.  
"I spoke harshly before, Sailor Pluto," he said. "No one is to blame but the daimon."  
Finally Setsuna smiled and Usagi noticed the tears in her eyes.  
"Thank you, Your Highness," she whispered bowing to kiss Usagi's hands. "Thank you."  
  
  
The End  
  
  
  
  



End file.
